The number of alleged victims who have filed complaints at Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) accusing Tom Transfers Company for allegedly defrauding them has doubled, The New Times understands.

Several people said that they gave money to the company to import cars for them, but since May last year, they have neither received the cars nor been reimbursed.

Some had ordered cars for immediate use in their daily life, while others had placed the order on an agreement that they would be leased by the company at an agreed amount.

"We filed over 100 cases and submitted them to prosecution. However, after submitting these cases to prosecution, we also received another round of over100 victims coming and more are still coming,” Thierry Murangira, RIB spokesperson said.

Some cases were submitted to prosecution on December 5, 2022, he said.

The company is being sued for four crimes, which are; fraud, forgery, breach of trust, and bounced cheques.

The complaints started in July last year.

The owner has since escaped and has closed office amid ongoing investigations over alleged crimes, he said.

"We urge people to take due diligence when buying properties. Otherwise giving money to someone to buy a car for you is like giving them capital to invest in their business and you do not know when you will get what you bought,” he said.

Meanwhile, he said there have been arrests of some suspects behind other Ponzi schemes-a form of fraud that lures investors and pays profits to earlier investors with funds from more recent investors.

These include P & A Group represented by a person known as Shema Prince who is accused of defrauding Rwf70 million from 13 people, promising them to sell or rent them cars.

His case was referred to prosecution on Friday last week.

According to RIB spokesperson Thierry Murangira, Shema told his unsuspecting victims that his company dealt in imports and rentals of cars as a way of convincing them to give him money.

Murangira said that those behind Cavallon Ltd were also arrested.

"Cavallon Ltd registered to do advertising activities. They were doing activities that are totally different,” he said.

Shema faces fraud charges.

On January 7, seven people, he added, also filed a complaint at RIB suing three people behind Gold Planning Artificial Intelligence which lured people to invest money in buying robots online saying it makes profits depending on their value.

Three suspects have been arrested so far.

The New Times has learnt that there is a group of victims suing Gold Planning Artificial Intelligence for defrauding them of Rwf100 million.

The sued companies are among over 10 companies that are allegedly committing white-collar crimes.